Are you thinking of traveling to Cuba? It's a fantastic idea! Cuba is one of the most beautiful and charming Caribbean destinations. But before you start preparing your trip, I want to tell you the 10 best tips for traveling to Cuba and so that you prepare your trip to be perfect.
BEST TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO CUBA
1. The climate in Cuba
Cuba is an ideal destination to travel all year round. As it is a tropical climate, temperatures are moderate between 20 and 28 degrees. It could be said that the year is divided into two seasons; the dry one that goes from November to April and the rainy season with slightly higher temperatures that goes from May to the end of October.
From the middle of June to the middle of September is the time of cyclones and hurricanes.
2. How to get around Cuba
Cuba is not small, despite what it may seem. And traveling from one destination to another will take several hours using some type of transport available in the country.
In this post I tell you about how to move in Cuba and all the transportation.
3. Essential medical insurance to travel to Cuba
I have spoken to you on numerous occasions about the need and the enormous benefits and coverage that traveling with good travel insurance provides. Accidents happen continuously or we need medical assistance. In the case of Cuba, it is not only something highly recommended, it is directly mandatory. If you arrive in the country and do not have international medical insurance, they will force you to hire one at the airport. This has a much higher price and less coverage than those that you can contract directly from here.
4. Currency in Cuba
In Cuba two different currencies are used simultaneously which, to further complicate matters, are called the same “pesos”.
The difference is in the second word, some are convertible pesos and others are Cuban pesos. These currencies also have not very different abbreviations and, therefore, they are also often confused: CUC for convertible pesos and CUP for Cuban pesos.
5. Can a tourist use the national currency?
On my first trip to Cuba, tourists could only use convertible pesos, regardless of whether it was to cover a large or small expense. So we could only charge in stores for "tourists" or to pay for taxis, activities and entrance fees.
Hotel employees accepted tips with commerical pesos, since in this way they could collect "luxury items" that were sold in tourist shops, since in their stores it was unthinkable.
But travelers could not get Cuban pesos.
On our second trip to Cuba, 10 years later, things have already changed a lot and by making a free trip, that theory seems to be more dissolved than ever. Tourists can now change their convertible pesos to Cuban pesos at exchange houses, as if it were just another transaction.
Working with Cuban pesos instead of convertibles can be very beneficial for tourists, since let's say that we can pay for things at "local price" and not at "foreign price" (although even this in many cases is much cheaper than European standards).
Although in many establishments it is specified whether payments are allowed in both currencies, major expenses for a conventional tourist (excursions, trips on Viazul buses, souvenirs, accommodation, etc.) are made in CUC.
1 euro = 1.10-1.30 commerical pesos. It depends on the change.
You will find the best currency exchange in the exchange houses in Cuba, forget about changing all your money at your airport of origin. If you want, change 100 or 200 euros and you will do the rest in Cuba. Change is better.
6. Pay with a credit card in Cuba
There are accommodation, tickets to museums or emblematic places, shops, restaurants and activity sales centers that have dataphones to pay by credit card. More and more are the places where you can find that accept credit cards.
However, don't go without cash! There will be places that will not accept cards and you will need it.
There are ATMs in almost all towns and cities.
7. Security in Cuba
Cuba is a fairly safe country for tourists and the crime rate is very low. You can travel the country for free (I did) and it is not crazy or putting yourself in danger. However, as in any city/country in the world, you must take certain precautions and not travel through areas that are not recommended. Beware of pickpockets, not to leave your cell phone or camera anywhere without watching it, and above all, do not leave your card to be charged in the back room. Always have your credit card in sight.
There will always be those who want to charge you triple for something... but there is where you have to get your gift for haggling.
In general, Cuban people are very friendly and very open to tourism.
8. Visa to travel to Cuba
Whenever you have doubts about whether you need a visa or not, I recommend that you ask at the consulate of the country you are going to travel. Regulations continually change so it is better to have all the information.
Many times in order not to be calling consultants, I look at ivisa.com if there is any type of visa. From this website you can get visas for any country.
If you are looking for the destination to which you are going to travel, it tells you if you need an electronic visa, visa on arrival, tourist visa...
9. How to get the visa to Cuba or Tourist Card
There are three different ways to get your documents to travel to Cuba at present and a fourth that is currently "stop". These vary in price and in the ease and convenience of obtaining them.
9.1. Do the paperwork from a consulate to apply for a visa to Cuba
As there are no intermediaries, this is the cheapest option. What you should keep in mind is that, in previous periods of high-demand vacations, you may have to stand in a long queue until it is your turn. The big downside of choosing to get the visa to Cuba by this method is that there are only 5 Cuban consulates in Spain where you can carry out the process. If it is far away, this may not be your best option.
9.2. Cuba Visa Online
One of the most popular ways to carry out this process today is to get a visa to Cuba online. The website I always use is ivisa.com
9.3. Tourist Card to Cuba through a travel agency
If you are going to travel to Cuba with a travel agency that will prepare the trip for you in a pack, you do not have to worry at all about the visa, because they will take care of the entire process and include the price in your package. Of course, we recommend that you continue reading because you will need to get your travel insurance to Cuba, since it is a mandatory requirement to travel to the country as I have told you before.
9.4. Visa to Cuba on arrival in Cuba
Despite the fact that for a time the option of obtaining an "on arrival" visa was enabled for travelers entering the country through the Havana airport, this service is currently interrupted.
10. Travel independently to Cuba or with an organized tour
Well, I'm a big fan of traveling freely, and getting lost anywhere. But throughout my life I have tried different options and it just so happens that Cuba has been a destination where I have tried both alternatives.
The first time I traveled to Cuba I was 17 years old and I was traveling with my family on a 15-day tour package that included Flight + Hotel + Transfers, in Havana and Varadero. I'm talking about when there was no booking and booking online was VERY new! (Hehe, I'm not that old, now I'm 30 years old and things have changed a lot in 13 years) From there we book activities and all kinds of visits. We had a great time, but I loved Havana so much that I always wanted to return.
10 years later I returned to Cuba to take a tour and spend 23 days in the country, going from top to bottom. You can read all the posts on Cuba to get inspired and find ideas to help you choose between one option or another. Tour Cuba has been an unforgettable experience and I highly recommend it.
But depending on the trip you want, you must know how to choose one option or another.
If your intention is to relax, disconnect from your work, you want to enjoy the beach and a resort, it is best to take a tour package that includes several things. And you don't have to eat your head a lot. You will enjoy the same, and Cuba is sensational.
If your way of seeing life and relaxing is to tour a country from top to bottom, read my posts about Cuba, apart from telling you what to do in the country, I give you all kinds of tips on how to get there, where to stay, what activities are worth it, etc.
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Cuba a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!